Looking for some input on the best way to get internet access for my father's company.

The main area consists of a small office for my dad and his partner and multiple outbuildings. They work with pecans (picking, cleaning, bagging, etc.) One of the new machines they are getting needs internet access. This will be out in one of the outbuildings, probably 150-200 foot away from the main office.

If they are going to be paying for internet, they figure they should go ahead and make it so that it can be used in the office as well.

At this point in time, they don't even have a computer. Everything is done over the phone, my husband looks it up on his smartphone, or they call me or one of the other wives and we do the internet portion.

Cell phone coverage is spotty and data is Edge at best. When I am there, it takes several minutes to pull up each web page, so using a smart phone is not a viable option. This would apply to all internet provided by a cell coverage.

I looked up their landline provider and they provide broadband and dial up internet access, but you have to call them to find out which is available for your specific location.

I am guessing they will be limited to dial up based on their remote location.

So, for something like this, would they get a wire run to the shop on the same phone line. Then get dial up internet assigned to that phone number. In the office they would be able to use a modem or a wireless router. I would assume that the equipment would have its own modem if it is designed to communicate over the internet.

I don't think they could do the wireless router alone based on the distance and brick walls and other metal buildings in between the router and the piece of equipment.

Does this sound right? If so, is this new line something the phone company does or an electrician or something they do on their own?

Any advice is welcome - my father just asked me what to do and since I have no experience with this type of setup, I thought I would ask here.

I'd check with the phone company first and find out what speed service they can offer. If its 'dial up', its really too slow to share. If so, I'd check on getting the phone company to pull a phone line to the building with the new machine for its connectivity.

Is there a chance cable TV might be nearby? This might be an alternative to the phone company. Hughes and DISH offer satellite based high speed internet too.

If you can get high speed, then you could base it in the office and either run a CAT5 cable to the other building for the machine, or setup a pair of Access Points. One would be at the office, probably with an exterior antenna. The other building would have a similar exterior antenna and you would have basically a dedicated wifi link.

Most of the internet providers, phone, cable, satellite, have business solutions folks that can help you. It sounds like a fairly simple setup in the end.

I should have added that the equipment only needs the internet when there is an issue and they have to troubleshoot it. Therefore, it would not be accessing the internet very often. They might use a computer in the office once a week to look something up.

Therefore, I am not too concerned with amount of data, data speed, or tying up the phone line. They use their cell phones the majority of the time any way.

I will suggest that he call the phone company. Cost is a major concern, so hopefully they will having something that fits his needs without going overboard.

They make a router that an air card mounts to. If you could get 3g/4g aircard service and use one of those routers. You can then connect this to multiple wifi access points hardwired to the router. Then they can use any wifi enabled laptop, netbook, tablet to go online.

I've also seen WIFI repeaters. They use them in some campgrounds. They look like 1' high pawns (chess peices) and relay the signal from point to point around the campsite. This might be an option as well. Mind you...I have no idea what these devices cost...so I can't really point you in a best direction for what you're looking for.

Hugesnet also has Sattelite dish internet service...you can look into that if there not a dsl/cable/or 3g/4g service provider. It would work amost anywhere...but tends to be pretty spendy I think.

I would find out whit the new machine comes with. I bet it is not a modem, unless it is a fax machine. internet ready may mean either RJ45 (LAN cable) or WiFi. Find out which is needed so you get the right router/repeater near that piece of equipment.

I have the spec sheets on the equipment, but it does not address what kind of internet hookup is required. I believe it is a new model as it does not appear on their website yet. It is made by Savage Equipment and called the Vision II pecan sorter, model 116S.

Kiwi-too - I will tell my father he also needs to ask his contact at the company what type of hookup to internet is needed.

chuggs - Intermitant Edge service is all you can get at their location. There is no 3G coverage there. Hughes and other satellites are too expensive for their basic needs.